Sunday, June 17, 2007

Beekeepers' Meeting

I went to a meeting of my local beekeeping association yesterday. We had a demonstration by a chap who was knowledgeable and an excellent communicator. I learned a lot from watching about a dozen hive inspections, which uncovered a wide range of problems as well as many healthy colonies.

There was also an opportunity to socialise, and I made friends with a few fellow-beginners. I also bent the ear of an experienced and helpful chap who gave me clear instructions on how to move a WBC hive. Ally over at Ducking for Apples mentioned that she was selling two WBC hives. But everyone I asked made that sucking noise with their teeth and said "Oooooh, you don't wanna do that. You can't move WBC hives. Everyone knows that."

That struck me as nonsense. How did Ally get them in the first place? I was sure it had to be possible, even if maybe a bit of a struggle, I just needed a set of instructions telling me how. Although if any of these nay-sayers had gone on to add "Fred over in Wilmslow is selling a second-hand National hive and bees", I'd have taken their arm off. But they never did.

So now I'm trying to find a weekend when I'm free, Ally's free, and my friend who has a van and is daft enough to help me move a hive full of bees is also free. Then I'm going to get me some bees!

Bill- Hedgewizard has attached a link to the youtube video clip website. It's Eddie Izzard doing his 'covered in bees' sketch. Very funny, but alas you won't be able to access it on snailband unless you have a few hours to spare to download it!! Sorry. I'll do my best to re-enact it for you when you visit it next.

WBC is the initials of the chap who designed them, apparently - William Broughton Carr.

I think there's a whole lot of propaganda from the National Brigade about how unwieldy WBCs are - we haven't found either moving them or dealing with them very difficult at all. In fact, a friend has Nationals and I am constantly amazed that the different stories just sort of *balance on top of each other* with not protection or fastening, rather than being surrounded by a second skin -type arrangement like the WBCs. I think it may be one of those 'what you're used to' things - my mum always used WBCs, so I am familiar with them.